Anyone experience an equine appraisal and know what to expect?
https://www.hg.org/legal-articles/equine-appraisal-the-value-of-our-horses-7366
I had one done years ago for a donation. Memory fuzzy. But the more valuable the horse, the more complex the appraisal is.
Correct.
The Equine Appraiser who comes to our stable sees the horse in hand and measure’s him with a height stick and takes a general look for color, markings, sex, conformation etc. Then, we tack up and the appraiser watches while the horse is warmed up and then watches it do its dressage moves or jumps (or both!). He then usually asks to see the horse do an extended trot and then a cool down circle on a long rein and then he fills out a paper and that is pretty much it. I believe he charges the owner requesting the appraisal $500 or so. Takes no more than a quick hour.
Thanks everyone for tagging me in the post. I am a certified Equine Appraiser so should be able to answer most of your questions. Each appraisal is different depending on the circumstances. In regards to an appraisal that is needed as part of a dispute or lawsuit, each party is free to hire their own independent equine appraiser.
Regardless of who you hire, if the appraisal is for a dispute or a lawsuit in which there is a chance it may go to court, it is in your best interest to hire an appraiser who will come out and see the horse in person. In some situations, an onsite inspection may not be necessary but you would need to speak with your attorney to find out what works best for you. If an onsite inspection is done, the appraiser should be taking extensive photos and videos of the horse. If the horse is a riding horse, they will request to see the horse ridden under saddle. The onsite inspection normally does not go longer than an hour.
A good appraiser will look at all information available in regards to a horse. This includes researching bloodlines (if available), assessing conformation and movement, analyzing show records and money won, training history, veterinary history (if available), temperament, breeding history (for mares and stallions), reviewing show videos, etc. What often takes the most time is researching other similar horses that have already been sold in the market. These “comparables” are used to help determine the Fair Market Value of the horse - this is the highest price, estimated in terms of money, that an informed buyer would pay for a particular horse on any given day. A good equine appraiser will often spend a minimum of 10 hours per horse before finalizing their report. Turn around time for an appraisal depends on the appraiser, how busy they are, the complexity of the case and many other factors. Most appraisers advertise that they are able to get an appraisal report done within one to two weeks. Some appraisers advertise longer so it is important to ask.
Be forewarned that not all equine appraisers are created equal. I have seen appraisers offer their services for $50 and others for $1,200. I have witnessed appraisers doing inadequate reports that result in a one page letter stating the value of the animal. As a comparison, most of my equine appraisals are a minimum of 20 pages. It should also be noted that not all equine appraisers are certified or in good standing with their country’s Appraisal Society. For example, if you live in the United States and are donating a horse worth more than $5,000 US to a non-profit organization, the IRS requires an appraisal done by a certified equine appraiser. There is one well-known appraiser in Arizona whose equine appraiser membership has been revoked by the American Society of Equine Appraisers. As a result, it is buyer beware!
In regards to dispute cases or lawsuits, if the other party hires their own equine appraiser, it is within your best interest to be compliant and let the appraiser come out and do their job. It makes it extremely difficult when I need to view a horse in person and the other party is combative or tries to block me from doing my job. As a warning, this always comes out in the court room and judges are not too happy when one party has tried to sabotage the other party. 
It is extremely important that you ask questions before hiring an equine appraiser. If you have a Prix St. George dressage horse that needs to be appraised, make sure you do not hire an appraiser that deals strictly in Quarter Horses. If you need a top Reining horse appraised, make sure you do not hire an appraiser that strictly deals with the hunter/jumper industry. This is extremely important if the appraisal is needed for court or the appraiser may need to testify. It is important to find an appraiser that is knowledgeable in the breed and/or discipline you need appraised. Many people who are attempting to do appraisals out there have little to no experience or credentials and nothing to back them up. As a result, I get hired frequently to argue against poorly done appraisals.
I am happy to answer any other questions you have.
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@Daventry Do you take retainers? Is that common or not done? One thing along the lines of hire the right appraiser for the job is that if you have a dispute and you want to use a certain expert, you may want to make sure you are the one hiring the expert and not your adversary. This comes up in various specialized fields where an expert opinion is needed, or surveys, appraisals or other specialized reports. So, either you need to be proactive and get an appraisal done early even if you may not ultimately need it in court, or another angle is to pay the expert their retainer if they do that, so that they are obligated to serve you if needed and the other side can’t hire them also if they want their own independent report.
Yes, I am often hired on retainer. After a lawsuit is finished, I am often contacted by the other attorney in regards to being put on permanent retainer. This is always flattering for me…but I know it is more about being put on retainer so the law firm does not have to argue against me again in the future. Of course, if that particular law firm was incompetent or acted poorly during the case, etc., I always politely decline.
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For insurance purposes - not for a lawsuit -my horse’s insurer accepted my trainer’s appraised value for my horse.
Yes, this is quite common. I get asked frequently if I can do an appraisal for insurance purposes. I always point out to the Horse Owner that it is much cheaper to get a trainer to write a letter of opinion/value. That being said, if a horse passes away and the insurance company needs a fair market value for the horse, then the owner or insurance company contacts me.
@Daventry I had no idea it was so involved. Do you have a “sample” report? I’d love to see what all goes into it, if you have one to share. How interesting!
Unfortunately, all of my reports are confidential and contain a copyright agreement, so I am not able to share.
